One of the nicest things about being a knitter is that knitting connects me with other knitters. Seriously. All I have to do is sit down somewhere with some needles and yarn and pretty soon some other woman is walking by, stopping and asking me what I'm making. Invariably, other knitters will ooh and aah over my project (just as I do over theirs), no matter how simple the pattern or how many mistakes I've made. This is because most knitters want genuinely to upbuild one another. I think that's because the practice of knitting is a kind of meditation, so any knitter is going to be calmer, happier, and more positive than the average Jane, simply because she's meditating all the time.
I moved to Philadelphia from New Jersey (and before that, from upstate New York) and when I got here I didn't know a soul. But I've met many people, and I've deepened connections with others, through knitting. What a surprising delight. Thank you to all my new friends.

Zelphia Ellerson, one of my knitting friends from InFusion. You can always count on Zelphia for interesting patterns. She's making a ruffly purple scarf that perfectly matches her purple shirt, purple-patterned skirt, and purple bag. And she's not even an Old Woman. I wish I had taken a picture of Zelphia with the scarf around her neck, its really neat.

Here's Barb Ochester, another knitting friend from InFusion, the coffee shop. She's working on a "shrug" for a friend using a random assortment of yarns. This amazing lady does a million things a day and still finds time to finish about a dozen knit items a month.
Barb runs a Shawl Ministry together with Zelphia at their church, St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Germantown. Its a vibrant ministry that is doing great things. I've been attending their meetings and love these ladies. see knittingtogether.blogspot.com for more info.

So I spend a lot of time knitting. A LOT. My knitting drug partner is Alexa here. (you can't see it too well but the project she's just begun is another piece of her gorgeous sweater for her father.) But I have many other knitting friends, with whom I spend hours and hours weekly, gabbing, complaining, discussing politics and religion, and occasionally crying. We mostly agree that we couldn't live without the regularity that all this knitting brings our daily lives. All the pictures I am posting today are from either the Wednesday morning knitting group at Jean's house or the Sunday evening group that meets over at Summit church. Anybody who'd like to join us at either group, just email me and I'll tell you where to find us.

lookit that awesome scarf. Leslie is making the most soft alpaca scarf that just makes the rest of us melt.

Jasmine's got those funky bright needles which match her bright sweater. She's just beginning a baby blanket. Watch this site for exciting updates.

Jean Labaree, another saint from Summit church, looking lovely as she knits for the first time in weeks. We are so happy she is feeling well enough again.

Look at that huuuge blanket Alexa is knitting in that huuuge chair!

You can see my hand-knit sweater better in this picture. The baby romper for Alex is coming along quite nicely.

Len Mitchell beginning a new scarf. Len, we need a picture of you wearing the scarf you just finished, its so beautiful.

The modern, wise and funny saint, Dorothy Guy, puts up with our knitting talk for hours on end.

That beautiful baby Alex again, with his mommy and daddy (Kari and Dan).

Here is my friend Dominique and I knitting. I'm working on a shawl but I don't know what she's starting. Domi, what are you working on? Note the beautiful blanket on the couch, crocheted by my Aunt Linda.

Even tough men knit! I hope Eric won't mind my posting his picture here. Some girl better snatch up this sensitive new-age guy.

Here I am with my wonderful husband Bill.

Here I am knitting a sweater for my mother on the train. Nothing better than knitting for long trips on public transportation.
Note that I am also wearing a sweater and a scarf I knit for myself!

Here is my mother, Gloria, wearing the sweater I knit for her. She's got socks to match, but the socks aren't in the picture!

My favorite baby, my nephew Alex (and his mother, Kari.) Watch this site for pictures of his cute knitted romper, to be finished in time for his birthday in August.

How Applekale got her name

Way back in the days of the Federation, Abby had a friend named Stefanie who called her "Applekale" (a play on "Abigail").